Umbrella



Sept. 25, 1962 w. L. MAPPIN ETAL 3,055,382

UMBRELLA Filed May 24, 1960 5 L22? 4 4e F/G: 45 46 4/ FIG.

B .DoRor/w Nan /N ATTORNEYS United States Patent U 3,055,382 UMBRELLAWalter Levison Mappin and Dorothy Mappin, both of 1 Cauifield St.,Rnsholme, Manchester, England Filed May .24, 196i), vSer. No. 31,457Claims priority, appiication Great Britain May 26, 1959 8 Claims. (Cl.135-34) This invention relates to umbrellas and the like, and has forits object to provide an improved construction thereof.

The present invention provides an umbrella or the like comprising aframe having a cover upon it; means are provided whereby the cover canbe easily removed from the frame so that the cover can be repaired orreplaced by one of a different colour or pattern.

The invention consists of an umbrella or the like comprising a frame,including ribs and a cover secured to the rib tips and comprising plugand socket means on the cover and the rib ends, providing readilydetachable fastenings between the rib and the cover.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example,in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is afragmentary sectional view of an umbrella;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a rib end, with atip-receiving socket on it;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of a tip for use with the socket shown in FIGURE2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a rib, with a retaining hookfor the cover;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of a plastic clip to use with the hook ofFIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of another form of rib end and tip;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the parts shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a cross section, taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the rib end of FIGURES 6 and 7.

The umbrella shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a frame including a stick it),ribs 11 and stretchers 12. The frame can be of the collapsible type. Acover 13 for the frame is provided consisting of a series of panelsformed by seams; the cove has a central opening which is passed over theend of the stick, and the panels, at the ends of the seams, are attachedto the ends of the ribs. As thus far described, the umbrella isconventional.

With the present invention, the central opening of the cover can bereadily removed from the ferrule end of the stick, and the attachment ofthe points of the cover to the ends of the ribs can also be easilyeffected; in this way the cover can be quickly removed for repair orreplacement.

One form of attachment between cover and rib is shown in FIGURES 2 and3. A tubular socket is formed on the end of the rib, with its axis lyingsubstantially in line with the length of the rib; this socket can beformed directly on the rib itself, if this is of the usual channelsection, but as shown in FIGURE 2 a separate tubular socket member 14 isused. The member 14 is a force fit on the end of the rib, which can becompressed slightly at 15 to receive it.

The socket member 14 receives a small plug or rib tip 16, to retain itfrictionally, the tip 16 being sewn to the cover, having a hole 19 forthis purpose. To ensure that the tip will be held, the socket member 14is longitudinally slit at 18 and inwardly of this slit portion, abouthalf of the periphery of the tube cut away, as at 20. The

tip is then shaped with an end 21 of slightly greater diameter whichlocates in a reduced bore 20 of the member 14 and a part 22 of slightlylesser diameter which is held in the slit end of member 14.

To place a cover on the frame the ferrule end of the stick is passedthrough the central opening of the cover, and the tips 16 are insertedin turn in the sockets on the rib ends; there is suflicient stretch inthe material to allow this to be done. A rubber ferrule or like ring 24can be pushed onto the projecting end of the stick to hold the centre ofthe cover.

The tension in the material and the friction at the tip and socket issufficient to hold the cover in position but if desired means can beemployed to hold the cover to the ribs at points intermediate theirends. For example, tapes 26 sewn to the cover can be tied round the rib,or a small hook 27, FIGURE 4, can be secured in the rib channel as bycrimping at 28. The cover can be provided with a loop to engage thehook, or there can be used a plastic member 30, with an enlarged head 31to fit in the hook.

An advantageous form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 6 to 9. Inthis case a tip 40 has a socket 41 at one end and a ball 42 at theother, with a hole 43 for attachment to the cover as described above.This tip can be formed from the solid, but can also be formed from tubeor sheet metal. The socket on the tip receives the end of the rib, Whichcan be pressed to substantially circular cross section at 44. A clip 45is used to retain the tip frictionally on the rib. The clip has a rearpart 46 which, as shown in FIGURE 8, is bent round the rib and is heldsecurely against rotation. Adjacent this end the clip is bent down at47, to clear the end of the tip 40. This part of the clip is reduced inWidth at 41, to increase its resiliency, and the end of the clip isshaped at 43 to fit round the tip and hold it in position. This form ofthe invention can be used in the same way as that described above.

We claim:

1. An umbrella comprising a stick, a frame including a plurality ofribs, a cover secured to such ribs, and plug and socket means on thecover and the end of each rib respectively, said plug and socket meansbeing engageable with each other in the general direction of thelongitudinal axis of each rib, each of said plug and socket meansincluding a tubular socket member attached to the end of a rib and aplug member attached to the cover and frictionally insertable in therespective socket member, each of said socket and plug members havingcooperating parts constituting a detent means to retain said two membersin engagement said cooperating parts comprising a longitudinallycentrally located cut-away section defining an aperture in the tubularwall of said socket means, a longitudinal split in the tubular wall ofsaid socket means extending from one end thereof and intersecting saidcentrally located aperture, the tubular walls immediately bordering saidlongitudinal split defining a pair of springy lips, and an enlarged headon said plug means wider in diameter than the diameter of said tubularsocket means at said springy lip portions and fully insertable Withinsaid tubular socket means at said centrally located aperture.

2. An umbrella in accordance with claim 1, and comprising a centralopening in the cover through which the end of the stick extends.

3. An umbrella in accordance with claim 2 and comprising a ring offriction material fitting on said stick to retain the cover.

4. An umbrella in accordance with claim 1, and com- 3 4 prising furthermeans for attaching the cover to the ribs eluding small attachments,with enlarged portions for reintermediate the ends of the latter.tention in said hooks, on said cover.

5. An umbrella in accordance with claim 4, and Where in said meanscomprises tapes on said cover, for tying References Cited In the file ofthls Pawnt round the ribs 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 6. An umbrella inaccordance with claim 4, and wherein said means comprises hooks on saidribs. 1 3:3 32

7. An umbrella in accordance with claim 6, wherein 2,319,118 Farkas eta1. May 11, 1943 said I'lbS are of channel sect1on and the hooks areheld 2 436 321 Morton Feb 17 1948 in the channel by crimping the latter.10 27o5014 Mann 1955 8. An umbrella in accordance with claim 6, and in-

